among
amongst
[preposition]
Synonyms:
- in the midst of, amid, amidst, in the middle of, in the thick of, surrounded by, together with, with
- in the group of, in the class of, in the company of, in the number of, out of
- to each of, between

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

a‧mong S2 W1 /əˈmʌŋ/ (also a‧mongst /əˈmʌŋst/) preposition
[Language: Old English; Origin: on gemonge, from on + gemong 'crowd']

1. in or through the middle of a group of people or things:
The girl quickly disappeared among the crowd.
I could hear voices coming from somewhere among the bushes.
We walked among the chestnut woods on the mountain slopes.
She began rummaging among the books on her desk. ⇒ between

2. with a particular group of people:
Jim relaxed, knowing he was among friends.

3. used to say that many people in a group have the same feeling or opinion, or that something affects many people in a group:
The problem is causing widespread concern among scientists.
The general opinion among police officers was that the law should be tightened.
The changes will mean 7,000 job losses among railway workers.

4. used to talk about a particular person, thing, or group as belonging to a larger group:
She was the eldest among them.
Innocent civilians were among the casualties.
My grandfather had among his possessions a portrait by Matisse.
Representatives were chosen by the students from among themselves.

5. among other things/places/factors etc used to say that you are only mentioning one or two people or things out of a much larger group:
At the meeting they discussed, among other things, recent events in Japan.

6. if something is divided or shared among a group of people, each person is given a part of it:
A father’s property was divided among his heirs.

7. among yourselves/ourselves/themselves with each other:
The allies found it hard to agree among themselves.


GRAMMAR
among, between
When you are talking about position, use among if there are more than two people or things around someone or something, and between if there is just one person or thing on each side:
They hid among the reeds.
I put my bag on the ground between my feet.
► Among is not commonly used after words such as 'relationship' and 'difference', even when more than two people or things are involved. Use between:
the relationship between these three sectors of the economy

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

among
preposition
1.
BAD: The main purpose of the visit is to develop a closer relationship among the two countries.
GOOD: The main purpose of the visit is to develop a closer relationship between the two countries.

Usage Note:
Use among when you are talking about three or more people or things. For two people or things, use between .

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2.
BAD: Try to avoid arousing anger and fear among the children.
GOOD: Try to avoid arousing anger and fear in the children.
BAD: He is very popular among the people of Japan.
GOOD: He is very popular with the people of Japan.

Usage Note:
Do not use among when the preceding verb/noun/adjective requires a different preposition: e.g. arouse anger in someone.

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3.
BAD: Among these problems, the most serious is the excessive growth of the world's population.
GOOD: The most serious of these problems is the excessive growth of the world's population.

Usage Note:
When a phrase beginning with among comes at the start of a sentence, it is usually followed by the verb be (NOT by the subject of the sentence): 'Among her reasons for resigning is the fact that she wants to move back to her home town.' 'Among those attending the ceremony were the Sultan of Pahang and his wife.' Note also that this structure is not common and is used only in formal styles.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲